The Cat
by Barbie's Evil Cousin
Summary: B/? X/Anya W/T S/C
1. The Cat's Scratch

The Cat  
Chapter 1  
The Cat's Scratch  
  
"Bye guys, I'll be back in a while," said Buffy at sundown.  
  
"I'll come with you, I'm bored," said Xander, putting on his jacket after her.  
  
"Okay."  
  
They left the shop and walked to the graveyard, hearing screeching tires a few miles away. About fifteen minutes later, a black mustang convertible pulled up in front of Xander and Anya's house. A girl stepped out and up to the door, and knocked. A girl with long, light brown hair opened the door.  
  
"Hi. Can I help you?" she asked, uncertainly, looking at the girl.  
  
"If you're Xander Harris, which I don't think you are," said the girl.  
  
She was kinda tall, her hair was ebony black with bright red streaks. She had leather pants and a leather tube top, her bellybutton, every centimeter of the edges of her ears, and eyebrows were all pierced, and she had two tattoos. One was a black sun around her bellybutton, and the other was barbed wire, around her arm.  
  
"No, I'm Dawn. Dawn Summers."  
  
"Oh. The new Slayer's sister. Is Xander here?"  
  
"No, would you like to come in?"  
  
The girl shrugged.  
  
"Sure. Only for a minute, I've gotta see Xander, so I can get out of here."  
  
Dawn backed away slowly and let the girl in, grabbing a crucifix, just in case. Dawn led her to the den where there were three women watching a movie.  
  
"Anya, Willow, Tara. This is-- wait, what's you're name?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"Try us, we've seen lots of scary things in our time," said the red- head.  
  
"My name is Love- Angel Ashleigh Harris, but don't call me that. Call me Cat."  
  
"Why?" asked the girl holding the red- head's hand.  
  
"It's a nickname. An old enemy gave it to me, and it stuck."  
  
"Oh. How do you know Xander?" asked the blonde.  
"He's my cousin. I've got a question. Who are you?"  
  
"Oh, sorry, I'm Anya. The red- head is Willow, and the brunette is Tara."  
  
"Oh okay. Where's Xander?"  
  
"Patrolling with Buffy," said Tara.  
  
"Okay thanks."  
  
"I remember you," said Willow. "You're the cousin Xander used to bury in the sand at the beach."  
  
She nodded and let herself out and went to find Xander. She found him and Buffy near a mosolium. Buffy turned and pointed a wooden stake at the vampire- looking girl.  
  
"Don't point that thing at me, I'm no vamp. So, you must be the new Slayer. Heard lots of good things about you. Good job."  
  
Xander turned.  
  
"Hey Love-Angel!" he said.  
  
"Don't call me that! I'm Cat, now, okay?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Ask the four ladies at your house and the Watcher who never came out of the kitchen. And the youngest had a crucifix, as if to use it to keep me back."  
  
"Oh, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Didn't Aunt Robin tell you? My parents died in a fire, started by vampires. I have to live with you, but if social services call tell them I'm fine, and you'll never hear from me ag--"  
  
A twig snapped.  
  
"Oh looky- looky. The Slayer's found a new vampire friend," said a man behind them.  
  
Cat turned and flipped the guy over and pinned him to the ground.  
  
"I'm no vampire."  
  
"Bugger, I can't get up. Who are you?"  
  
"Spike?"  
  
"Cat?"  
  
"God!" She got up off of him and they both stood up. "Stalking the new Slayer now? I should have known. Wherever there's a Slayer, there's you."  
  
"You flatter me."  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to."  
  
"Why do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Instigate."  
  
"Because you're annoying!" said Cat, becoming very angry.  
  
"So, how have you been?" tried Spike, trying to lighten the atmosphere.  
  
"Bored."  
  
"No more vampires for you to hunt?"   
  
"That's the Slayer's job, I'm not the Slayer anymore."  
  
"So, what do you do for fun?"  
  
"Black magic."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yes, really."  
"What have you destroyed so far?"  
  
"Well, there was this one vampire that I was trying to bring back to life, but I accidentally killed him. I was gonna kill him if it hadn't worked anyway." Spike laughed. "It wasn't funny, especially since my mom walked in right when he turned to dust. I had to put her under a spell to held her forget."  
  
"You have changed so much since the last time we met up."   
  
"Times change, so do people."  
  
"I haven't."  
  
"Yes you have. If you didn't you'd still be underground writing poetry, too shy to kill anybody."  
  
Spike crossed his arms and pouted.  
  
"Would not."  
  
"Oh you big baby."  
  
Cat reached over and fixed Spike's collar, which was half sticking up.  
  
"Sorry mother."  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
Xander cleared his throat, they looked at him.  
  
"Buffy went on up ahead. She said she'd meet us at home. Let's go," said Xander, leading Cat out of the graveyard.  
  
Cat shrugged.  
  
"Whatever. Later Spike."  
  
When they got home, they brought her things up to her new room and they went back downstairs to undergo interrogation.  
  
"Are you allergic to anything?" asked Anya.  
  
Buffy and the others walked in.  
  
"Yes. Cheerleaders, jocks, pains- in- the- butt, jerks, stereotypical nerds, evil demons, and druggies."  
  
"Any substances other than high school groupies?"  
  
"Cigarette smoke and pollen."  
  
"Okay, thank you."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Well, Cat here is best friends with Spike," said Xander.  
  
Cat looked at him as a spoon hit the floor.  
  
"We're not best friends, actually, we've almost killed each other, several times. Always has been and always will be like that."  
  
"What do you mean? How long have you known each other?"  
  
"Since about... Ancient Greece, no, wait, Ancient Egypt. I was a nobleman's daughter and he was my servant. Then we met back up in Ancient Greece, he was trying to take over Corrinth, but I had already conquered it, then we met up in early Renaissance and were lovers, but that soon ended, then we were split up in the eighteen hundreds. He was in Britain, and I was in Italy. Then we met back up again in Boston, nineteen- twenty, when he was a vamp, but I was mortal, then a few years ago, in Maryland, where I lived. We fought constantly."  
  
"Interesting," said the Watcher.  
  
"Who're you? I've met everyone else."  
  
"I'm Giles, pleased to meat you."  
  
"I'm Cat."  
  
"What's your real name?"  
  
"Love-Angel Ashleigh Harris."  
  
"As in the one who stopped the first Assension, single- handedly?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Yup. That was Ancient Egypt. My father wanted to overthrow the Romans, who were ruling over us. I wasn't about to let him, because I knew what would happen. And I was in love with the prince, but that's a different story, but I tried to warn him, but he didn't listen. He sent our family, servants, and belongings to India, only without me. I stayed behind, to stop him, and I did."  
  
A few weeks later, once Cat had gotten settled in, and was in school, she was sitting in the shop doing her homework at nine o'clock at night when Buffy sat down next to Cat.  
  
"You said you used to be the Slayer, when?"  
  
"All past lives, except for this one."  
  
"How did you die, each time?"  
  
"In Egypt, a friend of my fathers killed me, after he tortured me; in Greece I died of oldness; Renaissance, suicide; Eighteen hundreds, murder by my husband who was having a affair; Nineteen twenties, car accident; and now, I'm not dead yet."  
  
Buffy laughed.  
  
"Why suicide?"  
  
"Spike."  
  
"I almost married him once."  
  
"I actually did. We eloped and he kept leaving and coming back, but once, he didn't come back, so I killed myself."  
  
"Wow, so no vampires ever killed you?"  
  
"Nope, can't get near me, I can smell them when they get within fifteen feet of me, AND THERE'S A VERY IDIOTIC ONE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR!"  
  
Spike walked in.  
  
"I heard that," he said.  
  
"I would have been wasted if you hadn't," said Cat, grinning.  
  
"I brought you something you might like."  
  
He set the large box on the table, and they opened it to find little labeled boxes. One was in hieroglyphics, another was in Greek, and the rest in English. The first one, in hieroglyphics, said, 'Love-Angel 1852'. The one in Greek said 'Love-Angel 59' both were BC. The next one, in English said, 'Love-Angel 1282'. The next said 'Love-Angel 1892'. And the last was labeled 'Love-Angel 1923'.  
  
"Spike wha--"  
  
"I thought you might like these back."  
  
"Thanks, but what's in them?"  
  
"Look."  
  
Cat opened the first one (in order that she read the labels) in it was a silk dress, beads and a golden headdress.  
  
"My dress-- Spike."  
  
"Your things went to India, even if you didn't."  
  
She opened the next one, inside was a jewel- encrusted sword, and a crown.  
  
"My sword! I was wondering where this had gone."  
  
"I stole it from you after the Great War."  
  
She opened the next one and pulled out a beautiful red dress from the Renaissance. Then a lavender one after that, then a painting of a man and a woman looking into one another's eyes. Cat gasped  
  
"Spike-- I-- where?"  
  
"I got it from the man who had painted it when I came back, to find you-- dead."  
  
She opened the next one; a long light green sleeveless dress with lace around the shoulders and bottom, and pink ribbon lacing up the front, and a diamond necklace.  
  
"You were in Britain."  
  
"I came for a visit, but you were asleep, with your husband, so I thought it a bad time. So, when I heard you were murdered I went back, because I didn't believe it. Then I took them, because I knew you'd come back."  
  
She opened the last one to find an old dress from the twenties, a bottle of champagne, and a pearl necklace. Cat held up the champagne.  
  
"What's with this?"  
  
"It's your favorite, I believe, and since it was illegal then I thought I might keep it, just in case."  
  
"Thanks, and-- er-- what's with stealing my dresses. You-- dress- stealer you!"  
  
He laughed.  
  
"I've got a question."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"What changed you over the past two years?"  
  
"It's called independent teenager."  
  
"Ahh. Will you do something for me?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Will you or won't you?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Wear that red dress for me, one more time? It always looked good on you."  
  
"No."  
  
"You said you would."  
  
Cat sighed.  
  
"I can't do it here."  
  
"Tomorrow night."  
  
"Okay, come up to my room, at Xander's place."  
  
"No, my place. Nine o'clock."  
  
She sighed again.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Great, see you tomorrow night, beautiful."  
  
He left. 


	2. The Cat's Meow

The Cat  
Chapter 2  
The Cat's Meow  
  
She turned on the hot water, around eight. She washed out all the black and red, and the tattoos, she got out, put on the dress, dried her hair, and curled it at the bottom She put on her shoes, and went down the stairs. Xander took a picture.  
  
"I thought--" began Cat.  
  
"That no one would be here?" finished Buffy.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, Buffy told us about last night and we had to see it for ourselves," said Giles.  
  
Cat smiled.  
  
"Oh my goodness! She smiles! I have to sit down," said Dawn, sitting on the floor.  
  
"That's not funny," said Cat, as she opened the door and walked out.  
  
She walked through the graveyard and knocked on Spike's door.  
  
"Coming," she heard him say.  
  
He opened the door, his jaw dropped.  
  
"Hi Spike," said Cat.  
  
"Wow. Come in."  
  
He opened the door wider, and she followed him in there, he closed the door behind her.  
  
"Cool place."  
  
"Thanks. You look-- amazing. As amazing as you did when you first put it on."  
  
Cat smiled and blushed  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"I'm glad you washed out the hair dye, and those awful tattoos. Now all you gotta do is take off those fake earrings. I know you only have five total. The three in your left ear and the two in your right."  
  
She took the fake ones out, half smiling.  
  
"I've got to go, I've got school tomorrow. Later," said Cat, turning to leave.  
  
"Bye."  
  
She walked quickly home, and went to see Dawn immediately.  
  
"Dawn, can I borrow something of your to wear tomorrow?" asked Cat, upon walking in the door.  
  
Buffy smiled.  
  
"Is you homework done?" asked Buffy.  
  
Cat nodded.  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Xander, is it all right if Cat stays with us tonight?"  
  
"Sure," said Xander.  
  
Cat got her book bag, and they went over to their house, and talked for a while, until the girls went to sleep. The next morning, Buffy and Dawn got Cat up early. They curled her hair, so that it was two ringlets next to her face and the rest pulled back into a ponytail. Then they painted her nails pink, Cat put on a pair of low- rise black jeans; a pink shirt, that said 'Angel' on it; and a pleather jacket. Cat drove her and Dawn to school. The guys jaws dropped, as they walked to class. The bell rang and homeroom began as the teacher began to call role.  
  
"Harner, Bruce."  
  
"Here."  
  
"Harris, Love-Angel."  
"Here."  
  
Everyone stared at her.   
  
"Miss Harris?"  
  
"Please, call me Cat."  
  
Everyone had their eyes on Cat. Mr. Alistor snapped out of it.  
  
"Yes, of course. Holsta, Jeremy."  
  
"H-here. Whoa."  
  
He finished calling the role, and class began. That day, Cat became the most popular girl in school. At lunch, a guy came up to her.  
  
"Hi," he said.  
  
"Hey," said Cat, uncertainly, thinking 'Who is he and what does he want?'  
  
"You're Cat Harris, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm Charlie Zenier."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Are you going to the Winter Dance tonight?"  
  
"I wasn't planning on it."  
  
"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."  
  
Cat shrugged.  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Great! I'll pick you up at six."  
  
"Okay, I live--"  
  
"Right down the street from me, I know where you live."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Later."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Dawn and her friends screeched.  
  
"Oh my gosh Cat!" said Dawn, excitedly.  
  
"What? My ears are bleeding from all the high- pitched noise y'all are making."  
  
"That was Charlie Zenier."  
  
"Yeah, he said that."  
  
"That was the Quarterback of the football team, the most popular, and the hottest guy in school," said Christy Chase.   
  
"Okay?"  
  
"You're not completely ecstatic?"  
  
"It's just a dance."  
  
"What if you guys get serious?" asked Dawn, excitedly.  
  
"Then we'll get married. How am I supposed to know?" said Cat sarcastically.  
  
"Oh."  
  
The rest of the day flew by, and soon Dawn and Cat were on their way to drop off Dawn. When they got there, Dawn dragged Cat into the house, frantic.  
"Buffy!" shouted Dawn.  
  
Buffy, Willow, Tara, and Anya came running into the den.  
  
"Dawn! Cat! Is everything okay?" asked Buffy.  
  
"I think My arm is dislocated, but that's about it," said Cat lightly.  
  
"Buffy! Cat was asked to the dance tonight by the most popular guy in school and she doesn't have a dress or anything!" said Dawn.  
  
"Okay, let's go," said Buffy, pushing them into her car.  
  
"Willow! Tara! Anya! Save me!" called Cat, jokingly.  
  
They went to the mall, and went to find a dress, first. They found a silver one, a light green one, a dark blue one, and a pink one. She tried them all on, and was down to the pink and the blue ones. The pink one was strapless, and came out slightly at the waist, and the blue one had spaghetti straps and silver sparkles at the bottom, both went to the floor.   
  
"Which one?" asked Buffy.  
  
"I dunno, I like them both-- Wait! I can't believe I'm doing this. I never thought I'd ever do this."  
  
"Well, believe it."  
  
"Yeah, I guess it would have come sooner or later."  
  
"Cat?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Yeah?" answered Cat.  
  
"Why do you go by 'Cat'?"  
  
"Yeah, and Spike knew your name was Cat, how?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Well, when we were in Ancient Greece, I used to be a thief, before, during and after, being the Slayer. I stole that crown Spike gave back to me, I was also a warlord. I was in a whole lot of battles, and wars, this instigator of many of them, and when I wanted information out of my prisoners, I'd scratch them so they'd bleed to death, or I'd scratch their eyes out, that's where Drucilla learned it, me," said Cat.  
  
"Oh, who gave you the name?"   
  
"Spike."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I think the blue one looks better, don't you?"  
  
Buffy and Dawn nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I think it does, too," said Dawn.  
  
They bought it then went to get their nails done, they both got French manicures. The next stop was hair. The lady curled the bottom of Dawn's hair, and put little hair jewels in her hair, and another lady put Cat's hair up in a ponytail, and curled it all into ringlets, then they went home to do makeup, by then it was dark. At six o'clock, the doorbell rang, and Dawn panicked, because she was only half done with Cat's makeup.  
  
"He's here," said Cat.  
  
"Buffy, Willow, Tara, Anya! Get up here and help us!" Dawn shouted.  
  
"Dawn! It's not like we're trying to put out a fire or save the world! So, chill out!"  
  
The four came up, and Willow laughed a bit.  
  
"Cat, the door's for you," said Tara.  
  
"I know. Why did y'all leave Charlie down there with Giles and Xander?"  
  
The doorbell rang again.  
  
"We didn't we left Spike down there with Giles and Xander, Charlie just joined them," said Anya.  
"What?! Oh God! So, Spike's down there?"   
  
They nodded and Dawn added the last touch, and Cat tried to hurry down stairs without falling off of her shoes.  
  
"Wow. Cat you look-- wow," stuttered Charlie.  
  
Cat smiled.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He stuck out his arm, and she took it, and everyone got pictures, as the two were looking deep into one another's eyes. Spike, ruined the moment, though.  
  
"All right, all right, get a room. You don't want to be late, do you?" he asked, loudly.  
  
"Someone's in a bad mood," said Cat.  
  
"Damn straight," he muttered.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I said, 'No I'm not'."  
  
"Okay, whatever. Let's go, Charlie."  
  
They walked out of the house, got in his car, and drove to the only Italian restaurant in town, and ate dinner, talking the whole time. When they were done, they got back in Charlie's car, and drove to the dance. When they walked in, everyone stared at Cat, who looked over at Giles, and smiled, he smiled back. Charlie and Cat went out on the dance floor. He pulled her close to him as the music played on. What neither of them realized was that they were being watched by the green-eyed monster. 


	3. The Cat's Hiss

The Cat  
Chapter 3  
The Cat's Hiss  
  
The two danced song after song. Soon, the dance ended and it was time to go home.  
  
"Cat, do you want me to drive you home?" asked Giles.  
  
"No, thank you. I don't want to leave my date, it's rude."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Ah. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Night Giles."   
"Good night."  
  
Charlie and Cat got into his car and pulled up in front of her house.  
  
"See you on Monday," said Charlie.  
  
"Bye," said Cat.  
  
He leaned closer and kissed her, and she kissed him back until someone, or something ran into the car. They looked up.  
  
"What the--" began Charlie.  
  
Cat sighed.  
"Spike. I've got to go. Thanks again."  
  
She got out of the car.  
  
"Okay."  
She closed the door and he drove off. Cat walked up to Spike, right then, he would have rather taken on all of hell with his hands tied behind his back.  
  
"What? Don't look at me like that," said Spike, ready to run, he knows she couldn't run in heels and by the time she changed he would be on his way out of the country.  
  
"Leave me alone," she said, warningly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me. Go away and leave me alone."  
  
"Fine."  
  
He tuned and left. Cat walked into the house, up to her room, got a shower, put on her pajamas and went to bed. That night, Cat felt the presence of something, neither human nor vampire, in her room. She felt under her pillow for her sword, and when she found it, she jumped up on her bed, turning on the light. All that was there was a letter from a letter jacket. It was an 'S'.  
  
"Charlie," she whispered.  
  
She ran down the stairs and out the door, waking Xander and Anya, and she ran down the street, Xander and Anya following. Cat heard a muffled shout from an open upstairs window. Cat climbed up the tree and into the window. Xander went to call Buffy, and Anya waited for Cat. What Cat found in Charlie's room was unusual, but not for her, she had delt with it before.   
  
"Love- Angel." It sighed. "I should have known."  
  
"Jealousy. I thought I killed you."  
  
"You can't kill me, I'm an emotion, and a sin, but anyways, as long as anyone feels me strongly enough, I'll be back."  
  
Charlie was unconscious on his bed, Cat sighed her relief.  
  
"By the time I'm done with you, you'll be coming back in pieces."  
  
"But then you won't figure out who summoned me."  
"That's right. Who?"   
"You'll have to give me something. Something valuable."  
  
"Not to answer yes or no questions. Is it the same person as last time?"  
  
He struggled not to say anything. Buffy climbed through the window.  
  
"N- n- n- n- YES!!" he said, out of breath.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She stuck her sword in his heart, banishing him, for a while anyway. Cat then put a spell over Charlie to make him forget about jealousy and she and Buffy climbed back down where everyone else was standing, Cat was furious. Her long- sleeve, cotton pajama top was unbuttoned accept for two, the third and fourth ones down.  
  
"Cat! Are you okay?" asked Anya.  
  
"I'm fine. Buffy, can I see that?" she asked.  
  
"Sure," said Buffy, handing her the wooden stake in her hand.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Giles.  
  
"To end this," said Cat, walking away from them.  
  
She walked angrily to Spike's crypt, she kicked opened the door, and threw the stake at him. She missed his hear, but got him in the stomach.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked.  
  
"You know exactly what that was for!" she screamed.  
  
"No I don't!"  
  
"You summoned Jealousy, again! He almost killed Charlie!"  
  
"I did? Bloody hell--"  
  
"Which is where you're about to go."  
  
"Not without you."  
  
"Save me a seat, then."  
  
"How about my lap?"  
  
"In your dreams," she said, disgustedly.  
  
He pulled out the stake and threw it to the ground. It then flew up and Cat caught it. A blonde girl vampire walked in, and tried to attack Cat from behind. Cat threw her over her head, and into the wall.  
  
"Harm! No! She'll kill you! On second thought, have fun."   
  
Harmony ran at Cat. Cat pulled her hair, and Harmony drew back.  
  
"Harm? As in Harmony, as in Hope Kendal?"  
  
Harmony nodded.  
  
"That's my sister."  
  
"I'm friends with your little sister."  
"Really?"   
  
"Tell her I said hi."  
  
"I have a different idea, how about I kill you?"  
  
Harmony ran at Cat, but then went around her and out the door.  
  
"She's not all that stupid after all," said Spike, laughing.  
  
"Why, Spike?" asked Cat.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why are you jealous? You know I don't love you."  
  
"I misjudged them, then. I thought we were both having those dreams about us."   
  
Cat dropped her sword.  
  
"How did you--"  
  
"When we-- you know-- in Egypt, we were linked forever until we could break the curse, by dying together after loving each other for many years, then we die of being old, together."  
  
"Then I'd keep coming back because you can't die of getting old, you can't even get old! And anyway, that's not the curse, the curse is that we have to have meaningful sex, and that'll be it."  
  
He walked to her, his body against hers.  
  
"I've missed you, very much."  
  
She backed away, picking up her sword, and the stake, and she left him standing there. The following week was Christmas break, and Cat and Dawn were having a few friends over for a small party. Charlie dragged Cat into the kitchen and gave her, her Christmas present a little early. She opened it to find a diamond with rubies surrounding it in the shape of a heart. She kissed him and put it around her neck. They went back in the den, and the doorbell rang. Dawn got up to answer it.  
  
"Hi, can I help you?" asked Dawn.  
  
"I'm one of Cat's friends," said the guy, who looked about four years older than Cat. "I was told I could find her here."  
  
"Yeah sure, hold on. Cat! Someone's here to see you."  
  
Dawn didn't invite him in, just in case, she had learned her lesson from Harmony. Cat walked up behind Dawn.  
  
"Yes? Mike? Oh my goodness, come in! Come in!"  
  
He walked in, grinning. He had tan skin, light brown hair and a killer smile. Dawn was all ready in love.  
  
"Hey, Cat. What's up?"   
  
He sat down and she grabbed him something to drink.  
  
"Nothing at all. How about you?"  
  
"I'm great! I've been transferred to UC Sunnydale as a student teacher."  
  
"You? A teacher? I can't see that? I can see you as an actor. That robotic dancing, and the Ladies' Man sketch, and the Top Gun looking monologue."  
  
He laughed and blushed.  
"Well, you know, there's not much of a future in show- biz."  
  
"Yeah. How's the family? Is Billy still silent?"  
"No, actually he's as talkative as you, and we all blame you for it."  
  
"Me? I was here, in Sunnydale."  
  
"True, true. Well, anyway, how's it going here?"  
  
"Great!"  
  
"Sunnydale sounds like a boring place."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could call it that."  
  
Cat gave Dawn a sideways glance, Dawn grinned. Cat introduced everyone, when she remembered her manners. The song 'Lady in Red' came on and Mike grinned, standing up.  
  
"Wanna dace with the Best dancer in the world?"  
  
"Yes I would," said Cat, remembering that Christmas dance when she was a freshmen and Mike was a senior.  
  
They danced, Mike occasionally stopping to do his 'Robotic Dancing' as Cat called it. The song ended and they sat down, red in the face from laughing. 


	4. The Cat's Wrath

The Cat  
Chapter 4  
The Cat's Wrath  
  
On Valentine's Day, Cat was looking around school for Charlie, as he said he had a surprise for her. To her dismay, she found him.  
  
"Hi Charlie," she said, pretending not to notice that Charlie had Hope Kendal up against the wall, making out with her.  
  
He looked up.  
  
"Cat-- I can explain."  
  
"Feel free to. By all means, explain.  
  
Hope looked at her, as something grabbed Cat, around the neck, from behind. She flipped it over her head, and took a good look at it. It was black, the color of her jacket, but then it turned the color of the wall, a beige color. The bell rang, and it ran at her, running her into the wall. Students watched at the door, and around the room. It grabbed her around the waist and ran her into the wall a few times before, she broke out of its grasp, and fought back, twice as hard, then when she had it backed against the wall, it jumped out the open window. The principal cleared his throat.  
  
"Miss Harris, come with me."  
  
She followed him to his office and they sat there for a few minutes in silence.  
  
"Don't bother calling my guardian," she said, finally.  
  
"I'm not, I'm just waiting for an explanation of pulling a 'Buffy Summers' move."  
  
"That-- thing-- attacked me from behind."  
"I know it's a demon. Now, why are you acting like Buffy?"  
  
"Oh okay. Buffy and I are the same thing, just from two different families."  
  
"Ah, so you're a Slayer?"  
  
"Well, I used to be, but I still have my super powers, as Buffy calls them."  
  
Cat looked at him, surprised.  
  
"I was at the Assension a few years ago. You used to be?"  
"In most of my past lives, there were a few that I wasn't, but I was a powerful figure in one or two of the three I wasn't the Slayer."  
  
"Oh okay. This explains a few things. You can go to class now."  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
She got left his office and went to her locker, and grabbed her cell phone, going into the bathroom, and quickly dialing a number.  
  
"Hello?" came Giles' voice from the other end.  
  
"Giles," whispered Cat.  
"Cat?"  
  
"Yea, it's me. I've encountered a demon all ready this morning." "What did it look like?"  
  
"It was fuzzy, and it changed color, like a chameleon and it had red eyes."  
  
"Okay. I'll call the school later when I've found something. What happened to it?"  
"It got away, out the window. Giles, we were on the top floor, I don't know how it survived, it went out head first."  
  
"I'll find it. Goodbye."  
  
"Okay, later Giles."  
  
She hung up the phone and went to class. During her last class, about fifteen minutes before the end of French, she was called up to the office. When she entered the office, she picked up the phone.  
  
"Giles?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, it's me. I've found it."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's a Lust demon, named Arieat. He's summoned to the man who's lust overrules his love, with a relation of his worst enemy's lover, or former lover. So, it's a male version of Anya."  
  
Cat laughed, hard. She had to sit down she was laughing so hard.  
  
"A- A- A- Anya? Does she know?"  
"She was the one who knew who it was."  
  
"What is she saying?" Cat heard Anya say in the background.  
  
"She's laughing," said Giles. "God, thank you Cat, now she's pouting."  
  
"Hey, you don't have to live with her. I do."  
  
"Okay, well, you best get back to class."  
  
"Okay, I'll see you in about five minutes."  
  
"All right. Goodbye."  
  
She hung up, went back to class, packed up her things and left as the bell rang. She got her books, and went to find Hope. She found her walking with Christy.  
  
"Hey! Cat, we're goin to the Bronze tonight, right?" asked Hope.  
  
Cat stared at her, but said nothing.  
  
"Cat? Are you okay?" asked Christy.  
  
Cat punched Hope twice, giving her a black eye and a broken nose. cat got back in her car, and drove off to pick up Dawn. She pulled up in front of the Magic Box, went in, sat down, did her homework, then burst into tears, around sunset. Everyone looked at her, but Giles shook his head, telling them to leave her alone, for now. She stood up and left the shop. Right when she entered the graveyard, she ran into Spike.  
  
"What wrong, love, not that I care."  
  
"First, don't call me that. And second, it's none of your business."  
  
"Well, I want it to be my business."  
  
"You don't get everything you want."  
  
"True. There are two things I want that I can't have. One is to live, to breath, to not be pale, that all goes under one category."  
  
Cat laughed.  
  
"What's the other?"  
  
"You."  
  
Cat sighed.  
  
"You know what I want? I want Charlie to suffer."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He cheated on me this morning."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Then a lust demon attacked me."  
  
Spike looked at something behind her.  
  
"Did he look like that?"  
  
Cat turned, looked at the demon, and turned back to Spike.  
  
"Yup."  
  
She turned and did a round kick, knocking it out.  
  
"I think you got him."  
  
"That was easy."  
  
She tied him up.  
  
"Where did you get the?"  
  
"Found it on the way here."  
  
"How convenient."  
  
Cat shrugged, and looked back up at him.  
  
"I guess so..." She drifted off as Spike leaned over and kissed her. A while later, someone cleared their throat. Cat and Spike pulled away from each other, realizing what had happened. "Hey, Buffy, what's up? Come on."  
  
Cat grabbed Buffy by the arm, and pulled her away from Spike, not noticing the demon had been destroyed.  
  
"What was that?" asked Buffy.  
  
"What was what?" said Cat, trying to be innocent.  
  
"You and Spike."  
  
"Nothing, it was an accident. Don't tell Xander."  
  
"Okay, I won't. Just patrol with me tonight, give me someone to talk to, and we'll call it even."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Early the next morning, Cat walked into the house.  
  
"Where were you?" Xander asked quietly, making her jump.  
  
"With Buffy. I was talking and patrolling with her. Sorry."  
  
"Why didn't you call?"  
"Cell phone's upstairs. I'm going to bed."  
  
She went up to her room and got ready for bed. The next afternoon, she found a small box on her porch, addressed to her.  
  
"What the-- oh yeah, they said it would be coming in soon."  
  
She opened the box, and slipped on her class ring, then realized something. She put her things inside the door and drove over to Buffy's house. She knocked on the door and Willow answered it, smiling upon seeing the seventeen year old girl.  
  
"Hey Cat," said Willow.  
  
"Hi, Willow. I need your help."  
"What kind of help?"  
  
"With a spell. I can't remember the name of it, but it brings vampires back to life."  
  
"That takes three witches, or one very powerful one."  
  
Willow noticed that Cat had a resolve face that was more resolved than any she could manage.  
  
"I used to be that powerful witch, but I can't do it now. If you say you will, then I'll get the third."  
  
"Okay, I'll help. You were a witch before you came here?"  
  
"Past life."  
"Ah. Which witch were you?"  
  
"Morgain Le Fay."  
  
"Wow."  
  
Cat grinned.  
  
"But now, I'm just plain Cat."  
  
Willow smiled.  
  
"Go get your third witch, while I go get the stuff for it."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Cat got into her car and drove downtown. She pulled up in front of an apartment building, and went up the stairs to apartment '129 A'. Cat knocked, and Tara opened the door, and invited Cat in.  
  
"Hey Cat."  
  
"Hi Tara."  
  
"What's going on? Wanna drink? I've got Diet and Mt. Dew."  
  
"Whatever you grab first."  
  
Tara came back from the kitchen holding two Diet Sodas.   
  
"So, what's been happening?"  
  
"I need your help."  
"With what?"  
"A spell."  
  
"What kind of spell?"  
  
"One to bring a vampire back to life. It can't be done without you."  
  
"Sure, I'll help. Willow's helping too, isn't she?"  
  
Cat nodded.  
  
"But you two don't have to say anything to each other, unless you want. I'm not trying anything except bring someone back to life."  
  
"I heard about the accident, are they okay?"  
"Yeah. Dawn's got a fractured arm, and Willow has a concussion, and a broken heart. I'll stay the night sometimes when I'm fighting with Xander, and I'll hear her cry and scream your name, she really misses you. I know she gave up all that evil stuff."  
  
"I wonder how she started that."  
"Amy. I don't like that chick. She's bad news. She came to my house the other day, trying to get me on that, and I told her that if she didn't go far, far away and leave us alone, I would personally, slowly and painfully kill her. She got that deer in the headlights look, and ran away."  
  
Tara laughed and Cat's cell phone rang. Tara stood up.  
"Answer it, I'll be right back."  
  
Tara went to her bed room and Cat answered her phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Cat," said Willow from the other end.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"We have to do it tonight, or in a hundred years. You get the third?"   
"Yup. Okay. Bye."  
  
She hung it up and Tara came back, carrying a box.  
  
"Here, early birthday present," said Tara.  
  
Cat opened the box and pulled out a white lace-up top, and a dark blue, shimmery skirt. Cat folded it back up, but it back in the box, and hugged Tara.  
  
"Thank you so much! I love it!"  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"Oh, and before I forget. Willow says we have to it tonight, or in a hundred years. Is that all right with you?"  
  
"Yea, tonight's fine."  
  
"Magic Box? Nine?"  
  
"Great! See you then."  
  
Cat hugged Tara one last time, and went to her car, and went home. At eight forty- five, Cat pulled up in front of the Magic Box, wearing her new outfit.  
  
"Oh shoot!" said Willow.  
  
"What?" asked Cat.  
  
"I forgot something! He can't know about it, while we're doing it."  
  
"Got it covered."  
  
Cat sat down and began to chant. Then they tip- toed to Spike's crypt, to see him, asleep, on the floor. It took all three of then to sit him upright in a chair. They held hands in a circle around him, and chanted. They were three different elements: Willow was earth, Tara was air, and Cat was water. When they were done, they carried him to bed.  
  
"Night guys," said Cat.  
  
"Night Cat," said Tara.  
  
"Night Cat," said Willow.  
  
Tara and Willow left, hand in hand, having worked out their magic problem, and working out the others. Cat kissed Spike on the forehead, and left, walking around town, alone, and thinking, for the rest of the night. 


End file.
